Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Airliner Intercepted by Jets - Interactive

CTV News has created an interactive Google Earth simulation of how two Canadian CF-18 Hornet fighter jets intercepted a Sunwing Airlines flight in Canadian airspace.

Due to pilot error the Sunwing plane failed to keep contact with air traffic control for more than an hour. In response the two fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the plane, where they finally regained contact with the pilot.

The CTV News interactive uses the Google Earth browser plug-in to create a simulation of the interception. The simulation uses 3d models of the Sunwing aircraft and the two jets and includes audio from radio transmissions between the fighter jets and the Sunwing plane and air traffic control.

Back in 2009 Jeral Poskey created this Google Earth tour of Flight 1549, which crashed into the Hudson River in New York. The tour includes audio from the pilot and air traffic control from FAA recordings. To view the tour you need to have Google Earth installed on your computer.